Price Freeze for Drug that Stops Overdoses Announced for Ohio

OHIO - Adapt Pharma will freeze the Public Interest Price for its naloxone nasal spray for Ohio over the next year, said Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine. When given to a person overdosing on opioids such as heroin, fentanyl, carfentanil, or a prescription opioid, naloxone can limit or stop the overdose by reversing the effects of the opioid on the brain.

Ohio is currently the only state in the country that has secured a price freeze with the company.

“Overcoming the opioid epidemic requires all those affected by substance abuse disorder to have a second chance at recovery and life, which NARCAN Nasal Spray can provide,” said Mike Kelly, President of U.S. Operations at Adapt Pharma. He continued, “Our Public Interest Price offers affordable access to this ideal formulation of naloxone and helps to educate those on the front lines of this public health crisis on the importance of this medication.”

Attorney General DeWine met with Adapt Pharma last week to discuss a proposal to offer the FDA-approved naloxone nasal spray to Ohio law enforcement, first responders, state and local government agencies, and community-based organizations at a discounted rate for the next year.

The Public Interest Price will apply for one year from today to qualified purchasers who purchase two 4 mg doses of the nasal spray for $75, when obtained directly from Adapt Pharma in quantities greater than 48 units. That cost is a 40 percent discount from Adapt Pharma's Wholesale Acquisition Cost of $125.

"The cost to purchase naloxone has prevented some agencies from carrying this life saving drug, but I hope that Adapt Pharma's new price freeze for Ohio will allow more agencies to consider keeping naloxone on hand," said Ohio Attorney General DeWine. "I continue to urge law enforcement agencies to carry this drug, because it can mean the difference between life and death for those suffering from addiction."

Ohio is also currently in an agreement with Amphastar Pharmaceuticals for $6 rebates for every Amphastar naloxone syringe purchased until March 2017. During the first year of the rebate agreement, 82 Ohio agencies were reimbursed a total of more than $209,000 to offset the cost of naloxone purchases.

Ohio was called the face of the nation's opioid epidemic in early October 2016 by the Democratic Staff of the Senate Finance Committee.

Photo by Lauri Rantala via Flickr Commons